Needlepoint and Fatigue

Have you ever had the feeling while you were stitching that this is too tiring to be fun?
That was just happening to me, and I wanted to share with you some questions to ask and some solutions for the question of needlepoint and fatigue.

Is the light good? For many people, especially as we get older, light is a big issue. No matter whether you stitch in natural light, under a stitching lamp, or just with the lights in your home, be sure there is enough. Dim light could be making your stitching less fun.

Is there not enough contrast between your clothing and the canvas? Sometimes this can make it impossible to stitch (try using black canvas when wearing black clothes! Get what my friend Michelle calls a “lap dog” – a piece of white (or black) canvas you put in your lap to enhance contrast. If you want even more light, there are now lamps which sit in your lap and shine up through the canvas.

Is your needle the right size? Having a needle which is either too large (my problem this morning) or too small can make it harder to stitch. If you are finding yourself stitching more slowly, or fighting the thread, try changing the needle size.

Are the holes in the canvas too small? Use some kind of magnification (glasses or a lens). For another solution, switch to larger mesh sizes.

Are you stitching in the car? Is it uncomfortable? This happened to me yesterday. Check the amount of glare. On days with lots of glare, you might need to wear sunglasses while you stitch, or just not stitch and enjoy the ride.

Is the frame too heavy? There are two solutions to this. One is to switch to mini stretcher bars which are thinner and lighter than regular bars. The other is to allow a strand to support the weight for you.

Are your feet restless or tired? Get a footstool or use a recliner and put your feet up. My favorite footstool is a foldable one from K’s Creations.

Finally, if you suffer from some kinds of chronic problems (MS and fibromyalgia in my case) sometimes you are just too tired or uncoordinated to stitch. I know this is happening when my hands get achy and I can’t get my needle into the hole. If this happens to me, I try to rest a bit and see if that helps. If that doesn’t do the trick, I stop stitching and do other things. Some of the ones I’ve been doing lately include finding stretcher bars for new projects, pulling threads, and pasting things into my idea notebook. Other times, I look at needlepoint books for ideas.

Fatique doesn’t have to mean an end to needlework (even if it’s an end just for the morning)